1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to spray mixing apparatuses, and specifically for an apparatus which regulates the proportion of elements in a spray solution based upon vehicle speed and upon the number of operating segments of the spray distribution bank.
2. Prior Art
Agricultural sprayers generally consist of a movable frame on which a reservoir is located. The reservoir usually contains a large quantity of water, e.g., 4,000 liters, and additional chemicals such as nitrated dyes, used as selective weed killers, or diluted minor elements, e.g., sulfur or magnese. This pre-mixed solution is contained within the single reservoir.
The reservoir is usually equipped with a heavy duty pump, which is able to remove the pre-mixed solution from the reservoir and eject it under pressure into a spray distribution bank located on the frame. The distribution bank may consist of several independent segments, each having their own spray nozzles. As was revealed in French Patent Application No. 7,412,009 of Apr. 4, 1974 and French Patent Application No. 7,626,203, of Aug. 31, 1976, both to the present inventor, the flow of solution from the distribution bank may be regulated in accordance with the speed of the tractor to which the sprayer is attached.
Such an apparatus has a significant disadvantage in that the solution of water and additional products are pre-mixed in the storage reservoir thereby preventing the proportion of elements from being changed as the solution is being distributed. Unfortunately, it is desirable to be able to modify the proportions of the spray solution when a variety of types of crops are being sprayed, or when there is a change in the number of segments which are operating, especially when a segment of the distribution bank is turned off during the spraying operation.
In such cases, the proportion of elements in the solution must be adjusted to prevent the crops from being "burned" when the vehicle slows down, or to prevent an uneven spray pattern due to changes in velocity of the sprayer. Such speed changes are impossible to avoid due to the nature of agricultural terrain.
It is an object of the herein disclosed invention to provide a spray mixing apparatus which controls the proportions of the solution being sprayed according to the speed of the distribution vehicle and the number of operating sections of the spray distribution bank, thereby eliminating the disadvantages of sprayers not so equipped.